1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing technique which is applicable to a video game apparatus for enhancing attractiveness of a game.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, role-playing game apparatuses or softwares have been actively developed, wherein, for example, a player operates motion of a player character appearing in a game so that the player character fights a counterpart character. In recent video game apparatuses, attractiveness is enhanced by, not only operating motion of a player character, but also making a game itself storyful as well as using a three-dimensional Computer Graphic (CG) image processing technique to express motion of a player character and a counterpart character and change of scene images in a more realistic fashion. According to the conventional video game apparatuses, the motion of the characters and the scene images are displayed on an external display unit, a television or the like while being expressed in bird's eye or air views at predetermined viewpoint positions and in predetermined visual fields. Further, sound effects produced during operation of the player character are such that predetermined tones are outputted at predetermined scenes.
In the player-joining-type video game apparatuses typified by the role-playing game apparatuses, scene images are normally produced according to operation of the player character by the player wherein the player can feel as if the player acted and fought the counterpart character on a video display screen. In such video game apparatuses, when playing, for example, a storyful video game with tense scenes, it is effective to allow the player to experience a feeling of tension for enhancing attraction for the game.
However, as described above, in the conventional video game apparatuses, the motion of the characters and the scene images are reproduced at the predetermined viewpoint positions and the predetermined sound effect is produced per scene. Thus, it is difficult to render the player effectively experience the state of tension.